Plan basic vaccinations for your child. Strengthen immunity from serious diseases.

Plan basic vaccinations for your child. Strengthen immunity from serious diseases

Infants are still in an age where they cannot express their own feelings, and their immune systems are not yet strong. As a result, infants are more susceptible to illness than usual. Therefore, parents should build immunity for their little ones from an early age to reduce the likelihood of illness and prevent health obstacles during their growth.

Compulsory Vaccines

          Vaccination is the option for building immunity of the body to respond with the germs before developing the severe disease and illness in the future, especially in the toddler whose body is not yet strong. Therefore, it is recommended that every toddlers should get basic vaccine and other prevention vaccine appropriately, according to that ministry of public health issued policies and schedule of necessity Compulsory Vaccines for toddlers :  

1. BCG Tuberculosis Vaccine : Single-Dose type vaccine, when first born or before back to home. After taking a vaccine for 3-4 weeks, there will be a rash at a spot that is being injected, it may have pus or not. Just use soaked cotton in boiled water to clean the wound and it will disappear by itself within 3-6 weeks.

2. Hepatitis B Vaccine :  3 doses type vaccine that can be taken in many ways such as first dose when first born, second dose when turned to 1 month, and third dose when turned up to 6 months. It can prevent the disease that is caused from hepatitis B virus, which is the main cause of liver cancer and cirrhosis in adults.

3. Tdap (tetanus , Diphtheria, and Pertussis) vaccine: A 3-dose combination vaccine administered at the ages of 2 months, 4 months, and 6 months respectively. Following these doses, booster shots are recommended at 1 year 6 months, and at the ages of 4-6 years and 10-12 years. Subsequently, booster shots are advised every 10 years.

4. Hib vaccine: Hib or Haemophilus B caused from bacterial infection, mostly triggered Pneumonia or meningitis. It can be prevented by 3-doses type vaccine at the ages of 2 months, 4 months, and 6 months respectively and booster shots can be administered at 1 year 6 months. 

5. Rotavirus vaccine : It can prevent the diarrhea from rotavirus, reduce the severity of vomiting and diarrhea that commonly found in children with basic oral vaccine; Monovalent (Human) by consuming 2 times at the ages 2 and 4 months. If it's a booster vaccine: consuming Pentavalent (Bovine- Human) 3 times at the ages of 2 months, 4 months, and 6 months.  

6. Measles, Mumps, and rubella (MMR) Vaccine : These 3 diseases that are easily and rapidly transmitted by droplets from breathing. They can be prevented by 2 doses type vaccines, beginning with 1st dose at the ages 9-12 months and 2nd dose at the age 18-24 months.

7. polio vaccine : It is divided into 2 types such as Oral polio vaccine (OPV) for 5 times, at the age 2-4-6 months, 1 and half year and when at 4 months, it should have a dose Injection polio vaccine (IPV) to stimulate the immunity. While choosed the birth dose type vaccine, it already combined with the TdaP vaccine.

8. LAJE1 Vaccine : caused from getting bites from carriers such as mosquitoes and not having any direct treatment yet. Thai children should get the 2 doses vaccine, by injecting the first dose at the age of 1 year and the second dose that is 3-12 months away from the first one, depending on the type of vaccine. 

Optional vaccine

          Nowaday, the world is highly developed, so is the virus, causing more diversity in diseases. Therefore, optional vaccines have become a necessity for comprehensive protection of the children. 

1.Hand, foot and mouth from EV71 prevention vaccine : One of the most common diseases in children, transmitted from contact and highly spread during the rainy season.  It causes a fever, mouth ulcer, bullae at the hand, feet and torso. It can be prevented by 2 dose vaccines, for every 6 months. Appropriated for 6 months-5 years children.

2.Hepatitis A : Hepatitis A virus can be transmitted via excretion(secretion) from those who are infected and can be transmitted to the children during pregnancy. Enhances the immunity of children with 2 dose vaccines, by starting the injection at the age over 1 years and 6-12 months later for the 2nd dose.

3.IPD vaccine : To reduce the risk of severe pneumococcal disease, Meningitis and Septicemia from Pneumococcus with 3 dose vaccine. The first dose is at 2 months, the 2nd dose at 4 months and the 3rd dose at 6 months. Today, it is recommended to have the 4th booster dose at 15 months.

4. influenza vaccine : It is a single-dose vaccine for every age (If younger than 9 years old will be injected for 2 doses for every month of the first year then 1 dose a year). Especially for toddler and highly-risked groups, should regularly get influenza vaccines every year, for comprehensive treatment of the strain that might spread and reduce the severity of the illness. 

5.Chickenpox vaccine : Most people may have a mild fever accompanied with bullae on the body but the symptoms might be more severe in the toddler that is younger than 1 year and those who have weak immunity. Normally, children should get 2 doses of chickenpox vaccine at the age 12-15 months and the second dose that is at least 6 months away from the first dose.

6. Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine: Helps reduce the risk of Cervical cancer . The first dose can be vaccinated from the age of 9 and above. In the age group of 9-15 years, the vaccine is given in two doses, spaced 6-12 months apart. If the individual is over 15 years old, three doses are administered, with the second dose given 1-2 months after the first, and the third dose given 6 months after the first. This vaccine can also be administered to boys to prevent some types of anal cancer .

Importantly, don’t forget to take the health notebook for children with you every time getting vaccinated because it can help pediatricians to evaluate the immunity and continuity of the kids' vaccines in each type easily. 

Tips

          If the toddler has a fever or acute illness, it should postpone the vaccination and then return back if the children get well. Except for the mild cold and diarrhea but should not have fever accompanied. If there’s an allergy to any kind of medicine or food, it has to be declared to the doctor every time and should be observed for the allergy for 30 minutes after getting vaccinated. It may have a pain, swollen, rash at the spot that is being injected, pressed with cold water soaked towel. or if the children have fever after vaccination, you can use the paracetamol accompanied with wiping the body with room temperature water and the symptoms will disappear within 2-3 days.